BUDDING THE VINE. 



453 



responding cut is made in the bud. Care is of course taken that the 

 surfaces of bud and stock fit as evenly as possible. Afterwards, a 

 slender strand of bast mat is passed round both bud and stem ; then 

 a bandage of cotton wool is closely and neatly wrapped round the 

 stem, from an inch or so below to an inch above the ends of the 

 incision, exposing the point of the bud, and allowing the leaf-stalk 

 (which should not be removed from the bud) to project. This ban- 

 dage should also be firmly bound with bast mat, and kept moist for 



Budding the vine : The bud Cut in scion Bud in position Bud 

 enveloped in cotton wool. 



several weeks after the operation is performed. Managed in this way, 

 Mr. Stevens finds that " every eye will take, and show fruit as freely 

 as the natural buds of the vine." We have no doubt that the opera- 

 tion would be simplified, and success rendered even more certain, by 

 the application of a little of the French cold grafting mastic after the 

 bud has been secured ; and with its aid there would be little necessity 

 for any attention as regards moistening the outer covering. Apart 

 altogether from the advantage it gives us in securing early bunches of 

 a new variety, we believe this to be superior for general purposes to 

 grafting the vine, inasmuch as, performed in early autumn, the union 

 is effected before the winter, and thus time is gained as compared 

 with the practice of grafting in early spring. The union of the bud 

 is also more complete than that of the graft. It is scarcely necessary 

 to suggest how useful it is to the vine-grower in enabling him rapidly 

 to test the merits of the various kinds of stocks, &c. It need hardly 

 be added, that when a spur is successfully budded in this way, it will 

 be necessary to remove all the other shoots and buds from it. The 

 operation may be performed on main as well as lateral shoots. By 

 mistake the engraver has not shown the leaf-stalk attached to the tied- 

 up bud. It should not be removed. 



